Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire following high-level negotiations in Doha, where both countries pledged to respect each other’s sovereignty and are expected to meet again on October 25 to further discuss matters, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Sunday.
Amid heightened tensions along the Pak-Afghan border, a high-level Pakistani delegation led by Asif travelled to Doha on Saturday for talks with Afghan Taliban officials, aimed at ending cross-border hostilities and addressing Pakistan’s security concerns. Facilitated by Qatar, the talks followed days of clashes and Pakistani strikes on Gul Bahadur group camps in Afghanistan, after a 48-hour ceasefire was extended to allow negotiations.
In a post on X, the minister announced, “A ceasefire agreement has been finalised. The terrorist attacks from Afghanistan on Pakistan’s soil will cease immediately. Both neighbouring countries will respect each other’s territory,” adding that delegations will meet again in Istanbul on October 25 to discuss matters in detail.
“We are sincerely grateful to both brotherly countries, Qatar and Turkiye,” the minister said.
Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar welcomed the announcement, calling it a “step in the right direction.”
Taking to X, FM Dar said, “[I] welcome the agreement finalised late last night in Doha. It is the first step in the right direction.”
“Deeply appreciate the constructive role played by brotherly Qatar and Turkiye,’ he added.
Dar expressed hope for the establishment of a “concrete and verifiable monitoring mechanism” to tackle terrorism “emanating from Afghan soil” in the upcoming Istanbul meeting.
He stressed that “it is important to put all efforts in place to prevent any further loss of lives.”
Separately, the spokesperson for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, Zabiullah Mujahid, in a statement issued on Sunday, said: “Negotiations between representatives of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, held in Qatar, have concluded with the signing of a bilateral agreement.”
“Under the terms of the agreement, both sides reaffirm their commitment to peace, mutual respect, and the maintenance of strong and constructive [neighbourly] relations,” the statement added.
As per the statement, both countries mutually agreed that “neither country will undertake any hostile actions against the other, nor will they support groups carrying out attacks against the Government of Pakistan.”
“Both sides will refrain from targeting each other’s security forces, civilians, or critical infrastructure,” it added.
Underscoring commitment towards diplomacy, the statement said: “Both sides are committed to resolving issues and disputes through dialogue”, detailing that “a comprehensive and meaningful ceasefire has been mutually agreed upon.”
“In the future, a mechanism will be established, under the mediation of intermediary countries, to review bilateral claims and ensure the effective implementation of this agreement,” it said.
The spokesperson also extended appreciation to Qatar and Turkiye for their role in facilitating the agreement.
In a subsequent post, he referred to the phrase “nor will they support groups carrying out attacks against the Government of Pakistan” in his earlier statement. Mujahid clarified that it had been the the permanent position of the Islamic Emirate that “it does not allow the use of Afghan territory against any other country”.
“It (The Islamic Emirate) does not support any attack against anyone and has always emphasised this stance,” he added.
Earlier, a post on the X account of PTV News, citing the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had also confirmed the development.
“During the talks, both countries not only agreed on an immediate ceasefire but also decided to establish a permanent mechanism for bilateral peace and stability,” the post said.
The post further noted that both countries will hold follow-up meetings in the coming days to ensure the implementation and sustained continuity of the ceasefire.
“These measures will prove beneficial in promoting security and stability in both Pakistan and Afghanistan,” it said.
According to the post, the negotiations, hosted by the State of Qatar with Turkiye acting as mediator, continued for 13 hours.
On Saturday, as talks were underway between the two sides, Pakistan had reiterated that it did not seek escalation. However, it urged the Afghan Taliban authorities to honour their commitments to the international community and address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns by taking verifiable action against terrorist entities, a statement from the Foreign Office (FO) had said.
“Pakistan appreciates the mediation efforts of Qatar and hopes these discussions contribute to peace and stability in the region,“ it had added.
Cross-border escalation
On the night of October 11, Afghan forces launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistani border posts, sparking a series of clashes that left 23 Pakistani soldiers martyred and over 200 Taliban and affiliated militants dead, according to the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The Pakistan military responded with precision strikes inside Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and Kabul, targeting militant camps and border positions, while urging Kabul to act against terrorist groups operating from its soil.
Afghanistan claimed it carried out the border attack as a “retaliatory” measure, accusing Islamabad of conducting air strikes in its territory last Thursday — a charge Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied.
Clashes broke out again on Tuesday (Oct.14), with the Afghan Taliban and Fitna al Khawarij exchanging fire with Pakistan troops at the Kurram border. Pakistan followed this on Wednesday by launching “precision strikes” in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and Kabul.
Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses to refer to the terrorists affiliated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The FO on Wednesday announced that a temporary ceasefire had been agreed with Afghanistan for the next 48 hours amid the recent border hostilities. Later on Friday, the ceasefire was extended, according to a senior diplomatic source.
Additionally, Pakistan again targeted terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan that same day. Incidents were reported from the Angoor Adda region and across Afghanistan’s Urgun and Barmal districts of Paktika province as strikes were conducted against hideouts of the outlawed Hafiz Gul Bahadur group.
The attacks came on the heels of an audacious gun-and-bomb attack targeting a military installation in North Waziristan, and just hours after Islamabad and Kabul extended the two-day ceasefire.
Deteriorating ties
Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have remained strained since 2023, with Pakistan repeatedly raising concerns over the use of Afghan soil by militants carrying out cross-border attacks. The security situation has deteriorated further in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan following the outlawed TTP’s decision to end its ceasefire with Islamabad in November 2022.
While the two sides have attempted to hold dialogue from time to time, tensions have persisted. Kabul, while insisting that it does not permit its territory to be used against any country, continues to face criticism from Islamabad as TTP-led assaults continue in Pakistan.
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